Ritual Pale Ale

__Aroma:__ “Bright blend of lemon, grapefruit, orange, mango, lychee, and floral notes with a touch of earth, mineral, must, and pine in the hops bitterness. A slight fresh-squeezed orange juice back end with just a hint of malt sweetness. Just a touch of pepperiness emerges after the initial sip.” __Flavor:__ “Balanced like an Orange Julius—fruity and sweet throughout, with bitterness to balance, and a bit of tartness mid-palate. Resinous and spicy piney hops characters add just enough bite to help temper the light malt bread-crust sweetness but don’t linger too long. Good carbonation makes the right parts of the beer pop. Finishes slightly dry and bitter, with notes of mango and tropical fruit.” __Overall:__ “An excellent beer that was fun to parse out. More floral than fruity, with a medium bitterness that is well-balanced. The body is a bit assertive given the floral flavors, but the contrasting hops flavors work well together and only serve to heighten both the citrus and pine flavors. A very fun beer to drink!”

Aroma: “Classic saison aromas: orange, banana, light peppery phenols with grassy hops, bubblegum, and just a bit of bready malt in the background. Subtle but distinctive.” Flavor: “Pepper, orange, banana, clove, bubblegum, grainy malt, balanced, smooth finish that’s a bit on the sweeter side for the style, but certainly not sweet. Aftertaste of spice lingers pleasantly.” Overall: “Everything is super well-balanced; it’s just pint (or rather taster)-sized. A superbly executed classic saison.”

**Aroma:** “Green onion, savory, spicy lemongrass on the nose with low malt aromatics and medium esters that complement the hops. Esters pull out notes of pineapple, kiwi, and peaches and cream oatmeal.” **Flavor:** “Malt sugary sweetness peeking out from behind some intriguing hops flavors. Green onion, tamarind, and fenugreek. This is a weird, well-balanced not-a-typical-APA beer. Fruity floral hops meld smoothly into bitterness. Light-medium body and medium-high carbonation. Malt is fairly simple with some subtle biscuity undertones. Finishes clean.” **Overall:** “VERY interesting aromas and flavors going on. This tastes a bit like an Asian curry dish—I’m enjoying it, but it should come with a warning label! They hit the sweet spot between malty and bitter and deliver great balance. Light esters complement overall flavors without demanding attention. Nose is weak for the style, but the unique notes draw you in. Fruity side of the style but overall pretty well done. Balance is nicely executed.”